It is simple observation that during times of crisis such as the one we are forced to live in, there are so many news things we experience such as having to change our long established habits. There are no options but be subject to certain basic but crucial rules of conduct. For instance there could be put in place new emergency rules that may infringe on our privacy rights or even movements. Rights activists may argue against these measures labeling them ‘draconian’, convenient to score certain points. But government could legitimately argue that it is its duty to keep the public ‘safe from pandemics’. It is agreed that public security and public order are prerogatives of any government.
Now, for many people this state of emergency has created a new wave of things to do or not to do. These people suddenly find themselves deprived of their routine activities such as going to work, hanging out with friends and colleagues or even relatives. The new situation disrupts these routines. The restrictions lead to not knowing how to pass their so much extra time. In fact, they have never had so much extra time just to ‘waste’! This is what many people remark when they are solicited. Their responses portray similar state of mind.
But this is a mistake that needs to be rectified sooner than later. In the first place, trying to dodge the restrictions and engage in parties or some other ventures such as traveling extensively and meeting missed relatives or friends, things prohibited by health authorities could lead to the spread of Covid 19. That is in fact what is prohibited to keep safe the country and the community, not only one’s family or a few individuals.
One undeniable fact is that Covid 19 has attacked our social life at the very base. The means of transmission have been told and retold. Even those who have no access to TV or a radio set are well informed about it!
So people may be psychologically disturbed because many have the phobia of staying at home and even face their families or spouse for an unusually protracted time. Psychologists have been arguing that this could be the golden opportunity to stay calm and take whatever time is needed to discuss and iron out differences, if any or plan what to do of their relation etc explaining one another in a harmonious way while avoiding rushing or shouting and the like. However, such exercise could also backfire, as experienced in some cases in China where the protracted lock down resulted in a hike on divorce rates.
A spacious milieu can of course be a sort of remedy when there is some disagreement or something that one doesn’t like when you see others do. Moving to another room could be advisable to avoid frontal disputes. But the problem is when there is scant space as normal families are confronted with in our country and you are forced to face your spouse and others all the time. If there are differences in tastes, then it gets very hard even to watch TV peacefully because of competing tastes and competing programs.
The husband may like to watch soccer, the wife would rather die rather than watch twenty two crazy adults running after one ball! She might prefer a sitcom. Children on the other hand may prefer some Tom and Jerry cartoon. If the TV set is only one, or the room is only one, then bitter disputes could emerge making compromises hard.
Normally kids are the ones who in these circumstances suffer the brunt of such disputes because parents’ frustration often results in scolding and yelling at them. The kids on the other hand are in a new world of ‘staying put’ which is so unnatural of them. They end up moving brusquely in repetition and may get on the nerves of their guardians!
Covid 19 is really a devilish phenomenon that has come to completely disrupt societies. It not only created havoc in terms of deaths but even frustrated the desire of loved ones to mourn their loss properly. In the end all this could lead to a rise in mental health issues. Doctors have been advising people to be calm and take time to do whatever they would be interested in doing.
One of the best therapies recommended is to read regularly. Another could be to venture in writing. These two seem interdependent but not necessarily too difficult to realize at the same time. One can read any number of books choosing from a variety that one may have, or even borrow from some place if buying gets impractical. Or one can also indulge in the more difficult but more gratifying and engaging activity of writing, creative writing or experiences lived, may be a form of biography of a family member. There could be so many wonderful tales to tell. In the end it is all about planning what to do and how to do it. Then the stress of so much leisure at home could be replaced by a sense of purpose.
The recent Ethiopian history and socio-political developments are worth so many books. There are so many people who have lived under recent multiple regimes that one can indeed prepare these chapters of our life in writing. One may wonder how can one suddenly invent themselves as writer without any previous experience or talent etc? But if one has gone through some education, they might have had the opportunity to read a book on how to write a composition or even some poems and then the more one writes the more one gets interested in it and gets encouraged to persist. In general discussing a book after reading it could result as a stimulus to do more.
There is no magic formula to be a writer. There is none to be a devout reader. If one gets somehow started, there is plenty of time these days with little competing and compelling options. That would be like killing two birds with one stone: enjoy reading while not getting frustrated by the circumstances of being confined. It would be so hard to pass more than eight free hours daily without any engagement! This would be a wonderful opportunity to do just that.
The recommendation could be ‘Read and read and then write and write. The more one reads, the more one finds the appetite to read more. And at a later date the process could divert to engage in writing. It is often said that if someone does not read, it would be hard for them to write anything. It is something that feeds one into another. Usually people get such habits from school days; that is why parents need to patiently instill such passion to their kids.
It could be a matter of luck but often our destiny is fixed starting from the kind of schools we went to and the teachers we had. The schools’ compounds, the classes, the libraries and the friends we had also factor in these early inclinations.
But one does not necessarily have to pass through all those convenient family and school life to be a reader or a writer. If there is the blessing of some natural talent, well, capitalizing on it gets easier.
When Covid 19 burst and almost everyone is forced to stay confined at home even beyond hours of professional engagement, there is still a lot of time one can use to engage in some form of activity. If such activity is reading and writing, then it is a very good choice.
The Ethiopian Herald May 3/2020
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
